St Pontianus (wing of a polyptych)

Spinello Aretino painted this image of Saint Pontianus as a lateral wing of a polyptych around 1383, during the period when the multi-paneled altarpiece was the dominant format in Italian Gothic churches. Pontianus, a relatively obscure early Christian martyr and pope, was venerated in specific Italian localities, suggesting this polyptych was commissioned for a church or altar dedicated to his cult. Spinello was one of the last masters of the Florentine Trecento, active across Tuscany and admired for his vigorous, expressive style.

Egg tempera on a gold-ground panel shaped as a polyptych wing with a pointed Gothic arch at top. The saint is rendered in Spinello's characteristic energetic manner with strong contour lines, volumetric drapery, and an alert, individualized facial expression.